Improvement in bridle-bits



PATENT QFFICE.

ALGERNON GILLIAM, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN BRIDLE-BITS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 116,945, dated July 11, 1871.

To all whom fit may concern:

Be it known that I, ALGERNON GILLLAM, of the city of Pittsburg and State of Pennsylvania, have invented anew and useful Improvement in Bridle- Bits; and I do hereby declare the following to be a true and correct description of the construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawing making part and parcel of this my specification.

The nature and object of my invention are to produce and make a bridle-bit of simple and compact construction and of great strength and power, so as to control and hold any horse upon which it maybe used, and which bit is composed of only v two parts, easily adjusted, the one to the other, and duplicated, when desired, so that bypulling upon the rein the parts are so arranged that the bits will be forced upward into the mouth of the animal and his course arrested at will.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe the same.

The drawing herein referred to is a perspective view of the several parts of my improved bridle-bit and their relation to each other.

A A represent what I call the cheek-piece, which may be of a circular or elliptical form, having a space or slot, A', within which the bit C rests. B is an arm or lever that is pivoted centrally upon the cheek-piece, or nearly so, at a. On its opposite end a ring is formed, into which the bridlerein D is fastened. The arms B B are -placed upon the outer sides ofthe cheek-pieces A. The bit C is firmly riveted or attached to the arms or levers B B, as shown in the drawing. E is a curb, adjusted to rest upon theback part of the under jaw of the horse; and F represents the headstall. By this construction the bit becomes adjustable, and, by pulling upon the rein D, can be raised or forced upward into the mouth of the animal to the whole extent of the slot A/,rendering it almost impossible for any animal upon which this bit is used to retain the same between his teeth. rlhe dotted lines show the position of the bit when it is desired to have the full power and force of the rein applied to it.

The simplicity of this construction of a bit is apparent, being composed of but two parts, and, working with great ease and power, is a desideratum hitherto unattained, and working no injury to the mouth of the animal. The headstall and curb are adjusted or fastened to a ring formed upon the upper portion of the cheekpieces in any convenient manner, and the extent ofthe movement of the bit within the slots formed upon or in the cheek-pieces can be limited and controlled by the length of the slots referred to 5 also, the length and power of the arm or lever can be varied by increasing or diminishing its length, the principle of the invention remaining the same.

Vhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. rIhe combination of the cheek-pieces A A with the lever B, `when the latter is attached to the bit proper, and pivoted in the manner and for the purpose herein described.

2. The construction and arrangement of a bridle-bit, in the manner herein described, so as to admit of the arm to which the bit is attached being raised or loosened within a slot contained in 

